Love after the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction

by Joshua Whitehead (Editor), Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler (Contributor), Adam Garnet Jones (Contributor)

This exciting and groundbreaking fiction anthology showcases a number of new and emerging 2SQ (Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous) writers from across Turtle Island. These visionary authors show how queer Indigenous communities can bloom and thrive through utopian narratives that detail the vivacity and strength of 2SQness throughout its plight in the maw of settler colonialism's histories.

Here, readers will discover bio-engineered AI rats, transplanted trees in space, the rise of a 2SQ resistance camp, a primer on how to survive Indigiqueerly, virtual reality applications, motherships at sea, and the very bending of space-time continuums queered through NDN time. Love after the End demonstrates the imaginatively queer Two-Spirit futurisms we have all been dreaming of since 1492.

Contents:
* Introduction (Joshua Whitehead)
* Abacus (short story by Nathan Adler)
* History of the New World (short story by Adam Garnet Jones)
* The Ark of the Turtle's Back (short story by jaye simpson)
* How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls (short story by Kai Minosh Pyle)
* Andwànikàdjigan (short story by Gabriel Castilloux Calderon)
* Story for a Bottle (short story by Darcie Little Badger)
* Seed Children (short story by Mari Kurisato)
* Nameless (short story by Nazbah Tom)
* Eloise (short story by David A. Robertson)
* About the Contributors

Genres: Short Stories, Queer, Indigenous, Fiction, Science Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy

195 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2019

About the author

Joshua Whitehead is an Oji-Cree, Two-Spirit storyteller and academic from Peguis First Nation on Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Indigenous literatures and cultures at the University of Calgary on Treaty 7 territory. His most recent book of poetry, Full-Metal Indigiqueer, was shortlisted for the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Poetry. In 2016, his poem “mihkokwaniy” won Canada’s History Award for Aboriginal Arts and Stories (for writers aged 19–29), which included a residency at the Banff Centre. He has been published widely in Canadian literary magazines such as Prairie Fire, EVENT, Arc Poetry Magazine, CV2, Red Rising Magazine, and Geez Magazine’s Decolonization issue.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the queerness throughout this short story collection as well as the Indigenous representation! Also felt fascinated by the themes of nature and environmental devastation, what constitutes a utopia versus a dystopia, and AI rights. I did find myself lost in several of the stories after the first two, wanting a bit more in-depth exposure to the characters before jumping into some twisty plots. However I would still recommend to those interested in the voices and stories of Indigenous, queer, and Two-Spirit writers and characters.

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was reading Love after the End, I was reminded just how colonialist SFF often is as a genre, whether it’s about “conquering new worlds” and literally establishing colonies, or centring Medieval England in fantasy stories, or just holding up white, straight, cis, male protagonists as the heroes. This collection is such a refreshing change of perspective. These stories include a relationship with the land that isn’t common in science fiction stories. They assume a greater responsibility for protecting the Earth than I’m used to from a dystopia. The question of whether to stay on a planet that’s been destroyed by (white, wealthy) human activity is very different here than in a typical white space travel story.

There’s also an m/m romance story between a teenage boy and an AI who is also a cyberengineered super-intelligent rat! (In this story, same-sex relationships are accepted, but human/AI romantic relationships were the “the sort of thing that was whispered about, something that lived in the shadows.”)

Full review at the Lesbrary.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction alone, to this collection, has given me a lot to think on. From questioning what defines an apocalypse (one idea: Native Americans had theirs with colonialism and today is their dystopia), to understanding a bit more about how Native cultures have non-gender roles in their traditions, and what it means to be LGBTQ+ inside Native cultures. There is a lot to learn in these stories.

Story #1 - Abacus by Nathan Adler
A cute little love story between an AI and a human.

Story #2 - History of the New World by Adam Garnet Jones
A lovely story of possible migration to another planet, and the inherent destructiveness of humans.
“…we must always strive for balance. Above all else, our circle must be round.”

Story #3 - The Ark of the Turtle’s Back by Jayne Simpson
A unique melancholy feel to this story. Really enjoyed it and the idea that leaving the Earth would be impossible for those whom are connected to the land.

Story #4 - How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls by Kai Minosh Pyle
A touching narrative about how a lesbian native girl copes to ‘fit in’ before she realizes that maybe she can make her own world to ‘fit’ into it.

Story #5 - Andwanikadjigan by Gabriel Castilloux Calderon
Say that title five times fast... or you know even once.
A beautiful story about passing oral stories down the generational line.
I imagine having a mark for every story I know. I’d strive to be a beautiful tattooed/marked girl whose original skin colour would be hidden. 😉

Story #6 - Story for a Bottle by Darcie Little Badger
A wonderful story! Reminds me of the writing style of Paolo Bacigalupi. Well paced, evenly voiced; but clever science fiction dystopia.

Story #7 - The Seed Children by Mari Kurisato
I wonder if so many of these stories compare the indigenous to AIs, synthetics or other non-human entities because the tribes see themselves as so starkly different from the rest of the human race (or at least the majority of us).
Another brilliant story that has a happy ending which is rare in sci-fi stories.

Story #8 - Nameless by Nazbah Tom
Dream communication is one of the many stories I heard as a child and understood to be a skill or talent only available to some people. It was always the Indigenous tribes that live on the edge of, or near my city. I remember being envious of them then; and I’m envious of them now after this story.

Story #9 - Eloise by David A. Robertson
This is like an episode of Black Mirror. In fact I think they should legit take this story and make into one. Brilliant, creepy and certainly worthy of thought. Would you rather get over someone or spend 400 virtual years forgetting them?

Overall
In a word: Fabulous! In all the ways and meanings of the word.
This is a MUST read for any LGBTQ+ reader; and certainly a great introduction to two-spirit, Indigiqueer symbolism, placement in Indigenous culture, and where today these wonderful folks fit.
I’m so thankful that Joshua Whitehead chose to participating in WordFest 2020 (virtual) in Calgary. It was a pleasure to listen to him speak and learn more about his background and literature.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This is a really great anthology of stories! Queer speculative fiction by Indigenous authors doing some really interesting things. Most of the stories are dystopian or post-apocalyptic, and yet contain love and hope which is beautiful. And they draw on the various Indigenous identities of the authors in ways that add richness and offer something different to this kind of fiction. I would definitely recommend checking out the collection!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost: I am so happy that this anthology exists. I love when underrepresented voices get the chance to be heard. The fact that it was one of the best anthologies I've read this year was just the icing on the cake.

On to the stories!


1. Abacus, by Nathan Adler.

This had to be one of the most creative stories I've ever read. I mean, a bio-AI rat who, via his online avatar, falls in love with another boy? So original!

Sadly, there were a couple issues that I'm still puzzling through. First of all, I'm not sure how old the human protagonist is, but the way things are worded, he's quite young. Maybe thirteen/fourteen(ish)? And, well, an AI is non-aged, but still very much far more “adult” than the human. There's just a big power imbalance that I couldn't quite get past to allow me to enjoy the characters in a romantic relationship.

And then there's... the fact that the AI expected the human boy/teen to run away with him, even though he's now a rogue AI who must live “underground” for a while....it just didn't seem right, expecting the teen boy to go along with him. I think it should have ended differently. The AI should have left him, or something. I think the setting and feel the story had before the romance began warranted a less fluffy, “HEA” ending. RATING: 3 stars.


2. History of the World, by Adam Garnet Jones.

Wow. I was blown away by this story. So many deep and interesting themes compounded into one short story—and they all fit so perfectly! Immigration, climate change, the horrors of our consumerist society, gender and racial identity . . . there was just so much, so many layers, and all of them beautifully woven in. This is a must-read story for everyone, in my opinion. My only gripe was I felt the big event (the other wife leaving, and the family separating toward the end) was a little ham-fisted in. But that's about it, I think. RATING: 4.75 stars. Personal favorite of the anthology!

3. The Ark on the Turtle's Back, by Jaye Simpson.

I couldn't really get into this story very well. There was so much summarized, rather than shown, and since it had a similar premise to the last story (evacuation off an apocalyptic Earth), it did not shine as much as it could have. To me there were too many characters to the point where it sometimes got confusing who was who. RATING: 2.5 stars.

4. How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls, by Kai Minosh Pyle.

I enjoyed this story a great deal. It had an interesting structure and several fascinating characters. I do feel that the narrator's friend, Migizi, was the true protagonist, and the story might have been a little more engaging if it had been told from their POV. But it was a good story as it was. RATING: 3.5 stars.

5. Andwànikàdjigan, by Gabriel Castilloux Calderon.

A lovely tale about the power of stories, which is something I can always get behind. I really liked how the dual-timeline weaved together, adding more depth and background to the central story. It was handled very well, I thought. RATING: 4 stars.

6. Story for a Bottle, by Darcie Little Badger.

This one was quite unique in several ways, one of which is how the story's told, via a letter sent to the protagonist's younger sibling. It was really neat, and didn't lessen the suspense of all that the protagonist went through...which was some pretty tense stuff. I was pleased that the story ended on a somewhat positive note—I was worried there for a while. I did feel that the medium did make the protagonist seem a little more passive than I would have liked. I think if it was taking place “in real time” we could have seen more of her resistance and felt more of her fear and the like. The emotions just weren't as tightly strung as I would have preferred. Still a very good little story. RATING: 4 stars.

7. Seed Children, by Mari Kurisato.

This had to be the grimmest story in this anthology. Thankfully, much of what makes it so isn't on the page. In fact, this was a quick read. A quick, frightening dunk into cold water before we're passed off to a more optimistic conclusion. RATING: 3.5 stars.

8. Nameless, by Nazbah Tom.

Really didn't care for this one. There just wasn't much of a story, in my opinion. And the writing was very monotonous and dull. RATING: 2 stars.

9. Eloise, by David A. Robertson.

Despite being a more “literary” story, this one packed a surprising amount of suspense. Fascinating worldbuilding, too, having to do with the dangers of tech when it becomes so omnipresent that it takes over a person's life.

The plot did feel a little ham-fisted in places, but the lovely writing and other aspects helped me overlook some of that. Overall, a lush, frightening look at a future I could honestly see happening some day. RATING: 4.5 stars.


4 stars for the anthology as a whole.

[Emily M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

This collection of science fiction stories by two-spirit* authors and/or with two-spirit characters made a great companion read with Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America(which mentioned this book and some of its authors). The title of course references the fact that, for indigenous people, and two-spirit people in particular, the apocalypse already happened and right now is the “creating a post-apocalyptic future” period.

*A term adopted in the 1990s that references the range of ways in which variation in gender and sexual orientation is/was recognized in native societies that partly do and partly don’t overlap with modern western L,G,B,T,NB etc. identities (sort of like “queer” but without being a reclaimed slur).

As with any short story collection, some stories were more my cup of tea than others, but they all had interesting, thought-provoking aspects. Quite a few I wished would go on for a few more pages, as I either wanted more context or wanted to know what happened to the characters next!

‘Abacus’ and ‘Seed Children’ both include AI that was designed with indigenous input and which therefore carries some of that cultural identity – not something I’d seen before, as it seems like most AI stories have the unfortunately-not-unreasonable assumption of their programming reflecting the dominant culture. Of course, as with most truly-sentient-AI stories, one of the big themes is their struggle to live free or be recognized as people…which of course any actually-human minority group that has been dehumanized can relate to!

‘History of the New World’ and ‘The Ark of the Turtle's Back’ also form a pair, since their MCs both are given the option to leave earth for a supposedly better future, but make very different decisions. The moral questions are different as well, though. I have to say, the second left me kind of mad in a way I didn’t expect.
See, in ‘History of the New World’ – which I really liked - the MC ends up not boarding a ship with her wife to a new planet because it had just been discovered that that planet held intelligent life. She didn’t want to be a colonizer, so both she and her young daughter stay behind and take their chances with the climate-change-ravaged earth…which ends up being the right decision in several ways.

But in ‘The Ark of the Turtle’s Back’, the main problem doesn’t actually seem to be that the earth is really uninhabitable (because people are still able to tap maple trees and gather herbs in the traditional range of those species) but rather a political problem: native people are being pressed into labor for moon and mars colonies and otherwise being exploited. The MC finds out (through her sister) that ark ships have been made that will take them to another actually-uninhabited-but-earthlike planet…but the price is that their launch will break earth’s core, collapse its magnetosphere, and turn it into a dry, frozen orb like Mars, killing the whole biosphere and everyone else on earth and probably the moon and mars colonies instead.

This…really brought back my teenage environmentalist misanthropy for a sec. I’d let that way of thinking go, because I really would like to think it’s possible for humans to form a different type of relationship with the rest of nature. But if I saw this actually proposed it would convince me that humanity really is a virus. Because irrevocably breaking one of only two known biospheres (more than climate change or nuclear war could ever do; in those cases something would be left to re-evolve even if we killed ourselves) to get to the other is the ultimate case of treating the earth and everything on it as a resource, and not something that deserves respect in its own right! And then someone has the gall to make a remark about forming a “consensual relationship” with the next planet?!? I’m sorry, hon, that ship has sailed – literally!

‘How to survive the apocalypse for native girls’ is written in the form of a diary-cum-instruction-manual being written by a young person.
"3.5 Different teachings are correct... You can't say that one teaching is the only correct one, because then you would be putting down someone else's teaching. I think this is a good instruction, but sometimes I wonder about it..."
And that's what this story comes down to, and what I like about it. Because if the "teaching" is basically "our way is right"- then not arguing with it just enables the attitude this "instruction" is meant to counter!

‘Andwànikàdjigan’ and ‘Nameless’ both feel a bit "magical realism" compared to the others. Which is why I can vibe with the highly-unlikely central premise of the first one. Though, as an ecologist, the idea of this much of a society surviving when it sounds like plants can't grow was REALLY straining my suspension of disbelief! But I'm always down for a "power of stories" story, so I like it otherwise. ‘Nameless’, for its part, uses a kind of time-travel in a quite interesting way.

‘Story for a bottle’ was charming! The main character, a young girl living in a "post collapse world" basically gets shanghaied by what at first seems to be the AI running a floating survivalist city, but actually the lone white survivalist running it and has to use her wits to get back to her family. I guess I'd say the theme here is "surviving vs. living".

Finally, ‘Eloise’ is in a lot of ways the story with the lowest stakes – no person or planet is in danger of dying. It is about a relationship. And the hopeful note on which it ends perhaps makes it the best place to end the collection.

[Jassmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of a sort of YA leaning short-stories by indigenous two-spirit / genderqueer authors. I had a great time reading this! Some short-stories obviously resonated with me more than others, but this was very solid selection. Definitely need to read Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology soon!

Abacus by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler 5⭐
What a great start to this anthology! I really loved this story, at least half of it is told from the perspective of an AI who is also a super-inteligent mouse who outsmarts a ship full of scientists and I was just SO here for that! There are more possible readings of the story, but I lean toward the more optimistic one; I thought that the relationship this book portrays was really cute even though there is more struggles in the future. Loved this, hope this collection keeps being this good!

"I'm not very good at following all these primate rules."
"Primate?!"
"Ah, right. Geez. No offence."

History of the New World 5⭐ by Adam Garnet Jones
I really loved this short-story directly addressing issues of colonialism by showing us the future where humans from out Earth on the edge of destruction have the oportunity to relocate to Earth of alternative reality. One that has no people on it... or does it?

They also told us that, although many primates occupy the twin planet, no humans could be found. None of the species they had encountered showed any evidence that they possessed inteligence or self-awareness beyond that which could be expected from a crow or a dog. Crows have funerals, I remembered. Dogs will always find their way home.

The Ark of the Turtle's Back 4⭐ by jaye simpson
A lot of my buddies had problem with this short-story since it contains... let's say... genocide in the extreme? Earth assassination might be more precise. The protagonists of this short-story make an impossible decision and it's going to be hard to read for some people. I rationally see the problems, but... this was still enjoyable reading experience for me. Which is kind of surprising considering big chunk of this was actually about fertility struggles.

I am the one who breaks. For Giiweden and ashe, I break. For a chance at a future, a chance at tomorrow, a chance at children, I break."

How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls 4⭐ by Kai Minosh Pyle
On the other hand, this short-story was the highlight of the collection for a lot of my buddies but I didn't care that much for it. Maybe it's because this felt more YA than the rest? And also it's written in diary entries, I usually don't care much for that. I still had good time while reading this though, just...

Andwànikàdjigan 3,5⭐ by Gabriel Castilloux Calderón
I really liked the theoretical idea behind this story, but it didn't work for me as much as a story? I wanted to know more about the markings and more of the worldbuilding. I also wasn't fan of the resurrection trope in this, it made the emotionality of the story feel so much cheaper.

However, when someone shared a story and you truly listened, listened with all your hear, by the end, strange red markings would appear on your skin, like tiny scratches that fell into a pattern no one could discern. When you touched one, words would appear in your head, and you would repeat the story back, verbatim, as if you were the one who shared it in the first place.

Story for a Bottle 4⭐ by Darcie Little Badger
Unlike the rest of the authors here Darcie Little Badger was on my radar for quite some while and that might have put some unfair expectations on this story. For some reason though I wasn't very emotionally attached to the story, still very good though.

"What's your name?"
I lied because true names don't belong in the mouth of danger. "Mona Lisa."

Seed Children 3,5⭐ by Mari Kurisato
I really wish this story had a prequel part, I just felt like there was a lot of backstory missing to truly make this work. Still very cool story though!

Nameless 4⭐ by Nazbah Tom
Pretty much liked this one, this is a two-lines short-story and I kind of wished there was a bit more time spend on the "after", because I got a little bit over-fixated on what would be the connection ant then the story just ended, so... would prefer to be put down more gently!

Eloise 4⭐ by David Alexander Robertson
This is apparently a continuation of a short-story from Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology which I didn't know when reading and it's absolutely possible to enjoy them separately. I definitely plan to read it now though. This was a good closer to the collection with a bit lower stakes, or... maybe stakes that were just emotional instead of "the world is ending" kind of stakes. I quite enjoyed this one!

BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend dropped this onto my tbr (along with a bunch of other books, the monster), and I finally picked this up for Pride!

As expected with an anthology, some stories hit more than others, but even though there were a couple I didn't fully get, all were breathtakingly amazing.

My absolute favorite story was "The Story of the New World." That one made me cry.

Definitely a must read.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An indigiqueer anthology of speculative fiction about rebuilding on the ashes of an apocalypse, tending to the seedlings of a utopia. And while I wouldn't call this collection uplifting, touching on environmental destruction, homophobia and transphobia, violence, discrimination, pain, suffering, and loss, still each story contained a glimmer of hope that makes it feel possible that maybe, just maybe, there is a future for hummanity.

My favourite stories were:
- The Ark of the Turtle's Back
- Andwanikadjigan
- Story for a Bottle

I would highly recommend this collection to fellow lovers of science fiction!


Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, death, violence, racism, kidnapping, police brutality, homophobia, transphobia, vomit, climate destruction, confinement, blood


Included in my reading around the world vlog HERE.

You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok

You can join our book club over on Patreon... (this was our book club pick for June)
PBB Book Club

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So consistently good, my favorite stories in this anthology were History of the New World by Adam Garnet Jones, about a family preparing to depart Earth for a new world; Andwànikàdjigan by Gabriel Castilloux Calderon, a story about storytelling in a world where it’s forbidden; and Eloise by David A. Robertson which spins a brilliant tale of virtual reality technology and lost love. Solidly speculative but with doubtlessly broader appeal, I highly recommend this collection.

[Riley Neither · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really valuable collection. My favorite story might have been Kai Minosh Pyle's "How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls," but the whole book is full of voices and perspectives I can't get enough of in SFF and there weren't any stories in it that I didn't find enjoyable, thought-provoking, or both.

I'll share some thoughts in particular about Jaye Simpson's "The Ark of the Turtle's Back," because this was the story I found most challenging. There are a lot of obvious moral issues on the literal level of this story. It's hard to get behind any group of people, for any reason, willfully triggering the destruction of the entire Earth, so this story put me off at first. But I think there's some interesting and compelling stuff happening in it on a symbolic level.

First with the moon: The protagonist associates the moon not just with femininity in general, but specifically with her own sense of womanhood, so there's some kind of trade-off or transformation happening with the effective simultaneity of the loss of the moon (spiritual womanhood?) and the gaining of a womb (physical womanhood?). Then there's the bit about the protagonist "coming to the realization that Nokomis Moon had long been hidden since her violent colonization a decade ago," which might suggest that that colonization and disconnection were why the protagonist was struggling and dissatisfied (whereas maybe she would have been able to find happiness/satisfaction with a non-physical/wombless womanhood if the spiritual aspect hadn't been weakened or tainted).

And then with the Earth: The protag talks of course about being caretakers, and how "if she [the Earth] dies, we die too," meaning that Indigenous folks die without Earth. But the story actually turns that around by showing the Earth die without (free/unenslaved) Indigenous folks. It had been in its death throes (climate change, etc.) for a while thanks to colonization, and when the remaining Indigenous folks leave altogether, that death is finally and irrevocably completed. I find this symbolism striking and I wish it had been implemented differently, because it's really obscured by the under-developed and morally concerning sci-fi plotline about how they left the planet. I think the symbolism would have been better served by something more allegorical rather than straight sci-fi. (I do understand the desire to have Indigenous straight sci-fi rather than mysticizing Indigeneity... but straight sci-fi is just not a genre where you can destroy the entire Earth and expect audiences to see it symbolically rather than literally.)

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the March read for the Indigenous Reading Circle and I'm looking forward to discussion this weekend. Most of the stories share a theme of the destruction of the earth, from climate change or alien intervention, and how characters from indigenous communities are dealing with circumstances. If you are a guardian of the earth, do you stay to the end? What kind of new communities can be formed? What about AI or VR?

Most of the time when I read short stories, I expect every word to matter, for a high value to be placed on scarcity. I found many of these stories to be more in a storytelling voice (two in particular are very much telling instead of showing, like a faux memoir or history tone) and I wonder if that has anything to do with the framing of indigenous voices, is there some level of traditional technique being employed here? So the discussion should be interesting!

[2TReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

"Kinship is a two-sided coin, Nigig. You always gotta ask yourself, who is being excluded here?"- Migizi.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
What caught my attention immediately from the tone of Joshua Whitehead's introduction was the intention of this anthology to be nothing other than deliberate, clear, and personal with the representation of indigiqueerness, the exploration of indigenous people's relationship with self, AI, environment, family, beliefs, violence, and experiences.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
The authors brilliantly came together using the speculative story-telling format to imagine the future, teach lessons of acceptance, exclusion, violence against queer individuals, understanding, and survival, all while keeping Two-Spirit and Indigiqueers central.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
These stories take us from Earth into space and new worlds, and along the way we see the consequences, misgivings, actions, journeys that have led to the altered surface of our world as we know it. Changes that can be compared to what indigenous people's have faced and are not unfamiliar with and which they are still fighting today.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
Each story resonates with the love, respect, and dedication that indigenous people have for the Earth, the land that provides for and sustains them; their connection to both and to each other, making the characters vivid and bonded to their hi/stories. It was impossible not to be affected by these narratives.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
Again central to every story is family, queerness, indigiqueerness, Two-Spiritedness, Earth, future paths, and how indigenous peoples have been honouring and living in harmony with the land and all its inhabitants for generations.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
A Must Read. Thank you to Arsenal Pulp for this review copy. All thoughts are our own. Go buy, borrow, gift this anthology.
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
This is a resonant, relevant, oh so important collection of speculative fiction that truly represents indigenous peoples, their connection to mother earth, and how their past and present informs their interactions and visions for tomorrow.

[Chloe Halpenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was like Two-Spirit/queer, Indigenous Black Mirror. very cool.

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet sci-fi anthology. My favorite was the second story, which had this very intense, beautiful moment of 'reckoning' between two characters - that would be 'History of the New World' by Adam Garnet Jones). Second favorite: the lovely 'How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls' by Kai Minosh Pyle. Loved the indigiqueer elements that were everywhere in these stories.

3.5/5

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun speculative anthology with a focus on what happens after the end of the world through a queer indigenous lens. Like all collections some of these stories worked better for me than others but over all I really enjoyed the diversity of experiences in this collection and the different angles that were taken with this focus. My favorite story was the last one, Eloise, which had a very fun black mirror energy.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome, well-paced anthology collection! Highly recommend for fans of short fiction, speculative fiction with a hopeful edge (think the opposite of Black Mirror) and tons of queer content! Loved this one.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent, I loved every story. They were each so unique with great world building that really felt like a whole world in such a short time, just exactly what I love from a good short story. I loved reading the Indigenous perspective on dystopian worlds. I would definitely recommend if you like queer sci-fi/dystopian fiction- or are even new to sci-fi, I think the stories are very accessible for someone who doesn't read a lot of sci-fi.

[Ricky Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Post-Apocalyptic exploration of Indigenous Futurism, Love After the End is a visceral emotional gut-punch that is rendered with epic vision and thriving imagination. As with most short story collections (I imagine, this being my first) some stories worked better than others and the writing varied but that was also part of the magic and thrill of this reading experience.

Each of these speculative Sci-Fi themed tales has a personality that is distinctly its own and the overall collection is incredibly unique as a whole. Some of that is due simply to its specificity. These are all Indigenous Queer stories and perspectives. Even more specifically, they are Two Spirit tales of love, loss, and contemplations on the past and future of Indigenous Peoples. To say they were fascinating feels exploitative but I was moved, challenged and enlightened throughout this entire collection.

Joshua Whitehead is one of my favorite writers after reading their novel Jonny Appleseed and their poetry collection Full-Metal Indigiqueer. They curate and edit this collection and it could not have been in better hands. It's through my admiration for Whitehead that I found this exceptional and transportive book. The voices here are creatively unusual and refreshing in their layered perspectives.

My personal favorite has to be History of the New World by Adam Garnet Jones. That story stands out in its contrasting scope and intimacy. The characters were indelible and the story was propulsive yet meditative at the same time. I will certainly be searching out any further work Jones has or will ever put out in the future.

This book was an excellent introduction to short story collections for me and I'm certain I will return to these impressive and impactful tales to draw more from their inspired voices and complex themes. Love After the End manages to transcend what could be a gimmick to weave an intricate and expansive tapestry of speculative thought and colorful dreams rooted in the histories and cultures of its authors but propelled thrillingly into their powerful visions of a future for love after the world is over.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology surprised me in all the best ways. You might judge the parameters too narrow for a writing assignment, but the results show that imagination cannot be bound. Each story is wildly different than the next.

I found the grounding of indigenous culture and practice to be mesmerizing. The stories take on a much more holistic, spiritual, and reflective tone than most dystopian fiction. And the infusion of hope in the endings gave each tale a fresh energetic bounce.

I enjoyed every story, and every perspective.

[Emma Vossen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology. Story For a Bottle was my fav!

[Chey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked some stories more than others, but overall this is a beautiful collection. 4.5.

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterclass in hybrid storytelling, formally and in its deft moves amid “genre” and “literary” conventions. This collection kept me guessing with each story, with each entry feeling like a deliberate piece of a cohesive whole. It’s rare that I feel so “locked into” the conceit of an anthology collection, but both the organization and thematic links between these stories made it feel both collectively and “singularly” authored. Different hands came together to form a single and mighty voice.

[Jenny Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

With any anthology, some stories will be hit and miss. My two favorites were History of the New World and Eloise, because the tech and human element were balanced perfectly and were the most interesting. There was a sliding scale of how much indigenous, queer and speculative elements were in each story, which made it somewhat unbalanced as an anthology. However, I think it's necessary and valid for this kind of collection to exist in the world and I recommend it to anyone who is interested.

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great stories in here! I'm used to anthologies having a mix of hits and misses, but this one was really great all the way through. Even the intro alone had me wanting to go buy the editor's nonfiction! I'm looking forward to finding work from a lot of the authors featured in here.

[Enne]

I really really enjoyed this anthology! I was originally drawn to it because I found out that some stories acted as sequels for stories in LOVE: BEYOND BODY, SPACE, AND TIME and I was intrigued. But I actually ended up enjoying LOVE AFTER THE END more. I really loved the concept of exploring apocalypses through the point of view of Indigenous people and I also ended up really loving the execution! As with any anthology, there were some stories that I loved and some that I didn’t, but my favorites were History of The New World by Adam Garnet Jones, How To Survive The Apocalypse for Native Girls by Kai Minosh Pyle, and Seed Children by Mari Kurisato.

[Anna Rodimtseva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this during election week 2024 was exactly what I needed. Do I have good words to describe why it was perfect? No. I'm still processing the death of Democracy, human rights, and the planet. Love After The End gave me just the right amount of indigenous trans people having *happy* endings despite dystopian societal collapse for me to not stab my eyes out this week.

* Using the word "happy" quite loosely here.

[Alanna Why · Rating 5 out of 5]

“They kissed like the world was ending, but really, wasn’t it already over, and perhaps within this kiss lay a new beginning?”

Love After The End is a short anthology of nine stories of speculative fiction, all written by two-spirit and indigiqueer writers, edited by Joshua Whitehead. This was a quick read, but also one that was very bold and creative. It was also filled with a lot of heart, as all of the stories are geared towards endings with utopias both big and small for queer Indigenous peoples living through various apocalypses. My favourite stories were “Abacus” by Nathan Adler and “Story For A Bottle” by Darcie Little Badger, which both took on the question of human relationships with AI. Big recommend if you are into non-white and non-straight perspectives in science fiction, and I would also highly recommend reading Whitehead’s extremely moving novel Jonny Appleseed if you haven’t already.

Please note: I received a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[jame✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean to search for romance at a pipeline protest — can we have intimacy during doomsday?

Yes, these stories work to decolonize a genre ripe with settler ideals, centering caretakers instead of explorers, reaching toward the utopia of indigiqueer futurisms. But more than that, they focus on the LOVE and JOY of these communities, and that's what makes them so refreshing.

Are they perfect? Nah, but did it matter? Nahhhh.

Tomorrow will be kinder.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I wasn’t really grabbed by the stories in this book, which is the draw of a short story collection. Normally, the first two stories not really being my style would have me putting a collection like this down, but I picked Love After the End up as part of the 2021 Read Harder challenge so I stuck with it. And I’m glad I did! I really enjoyed ANDWÀNIKÀDJIGAN by Gabrielle Castilloux Calderon and STORY FOR A BOTTLE by Darcie Little Badger (I read the ending for BOTTLE twice!)